Ready to embrace opportunities and effect change

Spring is a wonderful time of year, full of hope and a promise of renewal that lifts spirits and empowers people to embrace the present and look with anticipation to all the future holds. There is a sense of appreciation that’s truly palpable: of challenges met and resolved and situations yet to be that hint of better days, new relationships and a closeness and camaraderie that is characteristic of Acadia, its students and our incredible alumni community. Acadia and, indeed, our Alumni Association, have faced many challenges over the past couple of years, grappling with a persistent global pandemic, labour strife on campus, and uncertain and troubling circumstances globally. What stands out for me, however, is our continued resiliency. Throughout Acadia’s storied history, our community has risen time and again to the challenges in front of us. Now we have come together once again, daring to explore new avenues of engagement and endeavour that have made us and will continue to make us stronger and more responsive to the needs of our alumni, students, faculty and staff at Acadia. This edition of the Bulletin focuses on a theme of mentorship and celebrates those who inspire. At Acadia, there is no shortage of such people in our alumni and on-campus communities and the relationships that exist between students and faculty, faculty and staff, alumni and faculty, and alumni and students illustrate brilliantly those who often rise to the occasion to provide guidance, support and leadership. These relationships are important and reflect the sense of community at the heart of Acadia and the work the Alumni Association does for its many and various stakeholders. A significant component of this work recently has been the development and articulation of our Strategic Plan. Designed to provide a template for future generations of volunteers interested in serving the Acadia alumni community, the Strategic Plan is a powerful document that will enable the Alumni Association to provide leadership in the transformation of career services and mentorship; create impact through the Acadia journey; build on the successes of alumni communications; and take action to provide equity and access to opportunity within the greater Acadia community. As we transition out of the pandemic to in-person events and more traditional layers of engagement, we look forward as well to applying all we have learned to strengthen the bonds between the Association and our alumni family, and I, in my capacity as your new Alumni Association President, am ready to embrace these opportunities and extol the virtues of the remarkable traditions that have made Acadia a destination of choice for generations of students and alumni alike. To our newest Acadia alumni – the graduating class of 2022 – I extend heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the Alumni Association for your remarkable accomplishments in difficult times. You have embraced and embody the University motto, In Pulvere Vinces, and inspire tremendous confidence in all you will achieve in the future as members of our alumni family and as mentors to those who will proudly follow in your footsteps. In Acadia spirit,

Matthew Rios (’14) President, Acadia Alumni Association